In the field of arthroscopic surgery, typically proper instrumentation can is important to a successful procedure. Accordingly, a large number of specialized instruments have been developed, some with very fine differences from existing instruments, mainly to meet specific needs or doctor preferences. For example, some instruments, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,982, incorporated entirely herein by reference, only pass sutures and do not grasp tissue. In general, the needs of arthroscopic or “closed” surgery are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,100, whose contents are also entirely incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,801, issued Nov. 19, 1996 and incorporated entirely herein by reference, shows a method and apparatus for use in arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery. In this patent, a trigger operated tool is shown for grasping the rotator cuff and holding it over the shoulder bone. The upper jaw of the instrument has an aperture and the lower jaw has a slot. The aperture and slot are aligned when the jaw is closed. As shown in FIG. 3B of that patent, the hole in the first jaw is used to remove the suture from the body while the jaw is closed. The method and instrument of this patent combine to form an older more traditional regimen for fixing torn rotator cuffs because grafts are not used.
However, in more advanced and modern rotator cuff procedures, a graft of some type is used to fill the gap formed by the torn area or the poor tissue quality of the rotator cuff, either of which may be incapable of handling anchoring forces on their own. In such procedures,this graft: (1) needs to be sutured before and after placement in the body, (2) the sutures need to be manipulated in situ as the graft is sutured to the rotator cuff and anchored to the bone, and (3) then the excess suture threads need to be removed after implantation of the graft in the patient. An exemplary graft material is GRAFTJACKET™ acellular matrix, sold by Wright Medical Technology, Inc., of Arlington, Tenn. , the assignee of this application. The acellular matrix is manufactured according to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,865,871; 5,024,830; and 5,336,616.
Accordingly, a specialized tool and method capable of being used for this purpose and through an arthroscopic (e.g. 7 mm) cannula is needed.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.